How To: Survive Holiday Dating

Never Leave A Holiday Party Alone Again

Holiday attire

You may be a T-shirt-and-jeans type, but when it comes to making a first impression on a date, take your look up a notch. To be safe, your top half should either have buttons or be a nice sweater. Yes, you may feel like a spit-shined kid getting his class picture taken, but what you wear makes a big first impression.

Making a good impression with your appearance goes for more than just stylish clothes — think about your grooming habits as well. Make sure you’re showered and clean-shaven, and take some time to make your hair presentable. You want convey that you care about your grooming hygiene and scent, so shower with a hydrating shower gel and apply some body spray just before you head out the door. Be careful with how much fragrance you apply, though: You want your date to appreciate your sexy scent, but you don't want to compete with the scent of her mom’s pumpkin pie.

What to give

It’s the season of giving, which means that if you don’t have a gift (even something small), you could end up looking like a schmuck. Do yourself a favor and stock up on a few inexpensive items appropriate for any friend, family member or work associate. That way, no matter how last-minute an invite is, you’ll be covered. The easiest things to give and keep handy at all times are some bottles of affordable wine or champagne and cloth wine bags.

If you have time to swing by a store on your way to the party, potted plants — like amaryllis bulbs for Thanksgiving or popular winter flowers like cyclamens for Christmas and Hanukkah — are also great gifts. They’ll add decor to the event you’re visiting and will keep the hosts thinking about you long after you’ve left. The fact is, if you have something — anything — in your hands when you greet new people, they’ll be more likely to accept you with open arms.

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The holidays can seem daunting when it comes to dating, but if you know the rules, it’s actually an opportunity to rise above the rest and make the best impression of the year. Put on your best clothes and your best behavior, then pay as much attention to your date’s friends and family as you can.

Amy Spencer is a dating and relationship expert and a full-fledged dating optimist. Her first book, Meeting Your Half-Orange: An Utterly Upbeat Guide to Using Dating Optimism to Find Your Perfect Match, will be published in February 2010.